Numerous types of packages and packaging methods have been proposed over the years for economically and reliably delivering or relaying an "armed" suture i.e., a suture having a surgical needle attached, to a surgeon in a sterile condition. Besides maintaining sterility of the armed suture, its packaging must also provide convenient dispensing of the suture under the demanding conditions of surgery. Examples of modern suture packaging are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,902 to Sobel et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,551 to Cerwin et al. Both of these patents are owned by the assignee herein and disclose a generally oval suture package having a central needle park for holding or "parking" the surgical needle and a peripheral channel for receiving the suture filament attached to the needle. Due to the clearance between successive filament loops and the suture channel, the shape of the channel, and the material composition of the package, the suture can be withdrawn from the package without binding in the suture channel.
Because of the widespread use of armed sutures, their packaging and production occurs on a large scale, such that small changes in their design and/or production methods can generate large implications in terms of the expense and efficiency of production, as well as energy and material costs. For example, production methods and designs that lend themselves to automation not only free human beings from the burden of conducting repetitive, unrewarding, mechanical tasks, but also promote efficient production by utilizing the strength, speed and untiring precision of a machine to perform such tasks. As a result, there is always a desire to utilize methods, materials and designs which are compatible with automation of production. The present invention is directed to that end.
With regard to materials, the common materials used to produce armed suture packaging include thermoplastics, such as, polyethylene and polypropylene, foils, paper and cardboard. Over the years, there has been an increasing demand upon industry for economy in the use of natural resources and restraint in the production and use of materials considered pollutants or merely solid waste that require disposal or recycling. Plastics and other materials derived from petrochemicals have certainly received significant attention with regard to minimization of usage in production as well as minimization of their presence in the finished product. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to achieve a reduction in the use of plastics in armed suture packaging.